Developer cartridge and developing unit having shutter for controlling supply of developer therebetween

Abstract

A developing unit includes a developer cartridge for accommodating developer and including a first opening for enabling communication between an inside of the developer cartridge and an outside of the developer cartridge, a housing including a cartridge housing part and a second opening provided in a position opposite to the first opening and formed toward the cartridge housing part, a shutter including a third opening and being movable between an open position and a closed position, and a protruding portion provided at an upstream end portion of the third opening in a movement direction of the shutter from the open position to the closed position and including a first end at a side close to the first opening and a second end at a side close to the second opening. The first end protrudes more downstream in the movement direction than the second end.

1. A developing unit comprising:
 a developer cartridge that is configured to accommodate developer and comprises a first opening for enabling communication between an inside of the developer cartridge and an outside of the developer cartridge; 
 a housing comprising:
 a cartridge housing part for housing the developer cartridge; and 
 a second opening that is provided in a position opposite to the first opening and is formed on the cartridge housing part; 
 
 a shutter that comprises a third opening, the shutter being movable between an open position where the third opening is located at a position between the first opening and the second opening and a closed position where the third opening is apart from the positions of the first opening and the second opening; and 
 a protruding portion comprising a flexible sheet that protrudes into the third opening from an upstream end portion of the third opening in a movement direction of the shutter from the open position to the closed position at the side close to the first opening, the protruding portion further comprising a first end at a side close to the first opening and a second end at a side close to the second opening, the first end protruding more downstream in the movement direction than the second end. 
 
     
     
       2. The developing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein when the shutter is located at the open position, the protruding portion is located more upstream than upstream ends of the first opening and the second opening in the movement direction. 
     
     
       3. The developing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the protruding portion comprises an inclined surface that is inclined downstream with respect to the movement direction. 
     
     
       4. The developing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the sheet comprises an adhesive surface attached to a portion of the shutter upstream of the third opening in the movement direction. 
     
     
       5. The developing unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the sheet comprises an adhesive surface attached to substantially entire surface of the shutter facing the first opening. 
     
     
       6. The developing unit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein when the shutter is located at the open position, the first opening, the second opening and the third opening are arranged in a substantially horizontal direction, and 
 wherein the movement direction is upward. 
 
     
     
       7. The developing unit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein when the shutter is located at the open position, the first opening, the second opening and the third opening are arranged in a substantially vertical direction, and 
 wherein the movement direction is a substantially horizontal direction. 
 
     
     
       8. A developer cartridge comprising:
 a first frame that is configured to accommodate developer and comprises a first opening for enabling communication between an inside of the first frame and an outside of the first frame; 
 a second frame that is provided outside of the first frame and is movable between an open position where the first opening is opened and a closed position where the first opening is closed, the second frame comprising an end portion at an upstream side in a movement direction of the second frame from the open position to the closed position; and 
 a protruding portion that is provided at the end portion of the second frame and comprises:
 a first end provided at a side close to the first opening; and 
 a second end that is provided in a position further apart from the first opening than the first end, the second end protruding more downstream in the movement direction than the first end. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The developer cartridge according to  claim 8 , wherein the protruding portion comprises an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the movement direction. 
     
     
       10. The developer cartridge according to  claim 8 , wherein the protruding portion comprises a flexible sheet that is provided in the position further apart from the first opening than the first end and protrudes from the upstream side to the downstream side in the movement direction. 
     
     
       11. The developer cartridge according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a first seal member that is provided around the first opening on an outer surface of the first frame for preventing the developer from leaking from the first opening; 
 a first seal-side opposite portion that is provided in the first seal member and located downstream of the first opening in the movement direction; and 
 a first guide surface that is provided in the first seal-side opposite portion and is inclined to the first opening as approaching from the downstream side to the upstream side in the movement direction. 
 
     
     
       12. The developer cartridge according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a first seal member that is provided around the first opening on an outer surface of the first frame for preventing the developer from leaking from the first opening; 
 a first seal-side opposite portion that is provided in the first seal member and located downstream of the first opening in the movement direction; and 
 a protective member that has an elastic modulus higher than that of the first seal member and is provided between the second frame and the first seal-side opposite portion for protecting the first seal member. 
 
     
     
       13. A developing unit comprising:
 the developer cartridge according to  claim 10 , 
 a housing comprising:
 a cartridge housing part for housing the developer cartridge; and 
 a second opening that is provided in a position opposite to the first opening and is formed on the cartridge housing part; and 
 
 a shutter that is provided in the cartridge housing part and is movable together with the second frame so as to open and close the second opening, 
 wherein the sheet is configured to fill a gap between the shutter and the second frame. 
 
     
     
       14. A developing unit comprising:
 the developer cartridge according to  claim 8 , 
 a housing comprising:
 a cartridge housing part for housing the developer cartridge; and 
 a second opening that is provided in a position opposite to the first opening and is formed on the cartridge housing part; 
 
 a shutter that is provided in the cartridge housing part, the shutter being movable together with the second frame so as to open the second opening when the second frame is located at the open position and close the second opening when the second frame is located at the closed position; 
 a second seal member that is provided around the second opening between the housing and the shutter for preventing the developer from leaking from the second opening; 
 a second seal-side opposite portion that is provided in the second seal member and is opposed to the second frame and the shutter when the second frame moves from the open position to the closed position; and 
 a second guide surface that is provided in the second seal-side opposite portion and is inclined to the second opening with respect to the movement direction. 
 
     
     
       15. A developing unit comprising:
 the developer cartridge according to  claim 8 , 
 a housing comprising:
 a cartridge housing part for housing the developer cartridge; and 
 a second opening that is provided in a position opposite to the first opening and is formed on the cartridge housing part; 
 
 a shutter that is provided in the cartridge housing part and is movable together with the second frame so as to open the second opening when the second frame is located at the open position and close the second opening when the second frame is located at the closed position; 
 a second seal member that is provided around the second opening between the housing and the shutter for preventing the developer from leaking from the second opening; 
 a second seal-side opposite portion that is provided in the second seal member and is opposed to the second frame and the shutter when the second frame moves from the open position to the closed position; and 
 a protective member for protecting the second seal member, the protective member having an elastic modulus higher than that of the second seal member and provided between the second seal-side opposite portion and a group of the second frame and the shutter. 
 
     
     
       16. A developer cartridge comprising:
 a first frame that is configured to accommodate developer and comprises a first opening for enabling communication between an inside of the first frame and an outside of the first frame; 
 a second frame that is provided outside of the first frame and is movable between an open position where the first opening is opened and a closed position where the first opening is closed; and 
 a first seal member that is provided around the first opening on an outer surface of the first frame for preventing the developer from leaking from the first opening, the first seal member comprising:
 a first contact portion that is slide contactable with the second frame moved from the open position to the closed position; and 
 a second contact portion that is slide contactable with the second frame moved from the open position to the closed position at a contact pressure higher than that of the first contact portion, 
 wherein the first contact portion and the second contact portion are positioned on a downstream side in a direction in which the second frame is moved from the open position to the closed position. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The developer cartridge according to  claim 16 , wherein the second contact portion is pressed against the second frame that is moved from the open position to the closed position. 
     
     
       18. The developer cartridge according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a first protrusion, which is provided on the first frame, which protrudes toward the second frame, and which presses the second contact portion against the second frame. 
 
     
     
       19. The developer cartridge according to  claim 16 , wherein the second contact portion has an elastic modulus that is higher than that of the first contact portion. 
     
     
       20. The developer cartridge according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a first seal-side opposite portion that is provided in the first seal member and is opposed to the second frame when the second frame moves from the open position to the closed position; and 
 a first guide surface that is provided in the first seal-side opposite portion and is inclined to the first opening in a movement direction of the second frame from the open position to the closed position, 
 wherein the second contact portion is provided in a position apart from the first guide surface at a downstream side of the first guide surface in the movement direction of the second frame. 
 
     
     
       21. The developer cartridge according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a first seal-side opposite portion that is provided in the first seal member and is opposed to the second frame when the second from moves from the open position to the closed position; and 
 a protective member that has an elastic modulus higher than that of the first seal member and is provided between the second frame and the first seal-side opposite portion for protecting the first seal member. 
 
     
     
       22. The developer cartridge according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 an end portion provided at an upstream side in a movement direction of the second frame from the open position to the closed position; 
 a protruding portion that is provided at the end portion of the second frame and comprises:
 a first end provided at a side close to the first opening; and 
 a second end that is provided in a position further apart from the first opening than the first end and protrudes more downstream in the movement direction than the first end. 
 
 
     
     
       23. A developing unit comprising:
 the developer cartridge according to  claim 16 , 
 a housing comprising:
 a cartridge housing part for housing the developer cartridge; and 
 a second opening that is provided in a position opposite to the first opening and is formed on the cartridge housing part; 
 
 a shutter that is provided in the cartridge housing part and is movable together with the second frame so as to open the second opening when the second frame is located at the open position and close the second opening when the second frame is located at the closed position; and 
 a second seal member that is provided around the second opening between the housing and the shutter for preventing the developer from leaking from the second opening, the second seal member comprising:
 a third contact portion that is slide contactable with the shutter when the second frame moves from the open position to the closed position; and 
 a fourth contact portion that is slide contactable with the shutter when the second frame moves from the open position to the closed position at a contact pressure higher than that of the third contact portion. 
 
 
     
     
       24. The developing unit according to  claim 23 , wherein the fourth contact portion is pressed against the shutter when the second frame moves from the open position to the closed position. 
     
     
       25. The developing unit according to  claim 24 , further comprising:
 a second protrusion, which is provided on the housing, which protrudes toward the shutter, and which presses the fourth contact portion against the shutter. 
 
     
     
       26. The developing unit according to  claim 23 , wherein the fourth contact portion has an elastic modulus that is higher than that of the third contact portion. 
     
     
       27. The developing unit according to  claim 23 , further comprising:
 a second seal-side opposite portion that is provided in the second seal member and is opposed to the second frame and the shutter when the second frame moves from the open position to the closed position; and 
 a second guide surface that is provided in the second seal-side opposite portion and is inclined toward the second opening in a movement direction of the second frame from the open position to the closed position, 
 wherein the fourth contact portion is provided in a position apart from the second guide surface in the movement direction of the second frame. 
 
     
     
       28. The developing unit according to  claim 23 , further comprising:
 a second seal-side opposite portion that is provided in the second seal member and is opposed to the second frame and the shutter when the second frame moves from the open position to the closed position; 
 a protective member for protecting the second seal member, the second protective member having an elastic modulus higher than that of the second seal member and provided between the second seal-side opposite portion and a group of the second frame and the shutter.